Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Author's Note: Credit Pridefall and Chevira Lowe with the inspiration for this story. They are some of the greatest authors to contribute to the Naruto fanfiction section and i look up to them whole heartedly. This story delves in and out of various story arcs, and should be treated as separate entities.
The Truth of the Matter was...
Hyuuga Neji
Hyuuga Neji's life was full of irony. It was ironic that he was destined to live the life of a branch child, when his abilities clearly outshined his cousins. It was ironic that for all his mastery of the Byakugan, he had still lived his life blindly up until a certain ninja finally beat him into sight. It was also ironic that despite all of his taijutsu and Gentle Fist techniques, Hyuuga Neji hated fighting. His aversion to combat did not stem from any concern or compassion for others, nor did he adopt a pacifists outlook on life. Rather, Hyuuga Neji had a fear of germs and hated bodily contact of any kind. Mysophobia, had been the technical term when he looked it up in the library, and it was something he had lived with all his life. To his credit, Neji has never used a doorknob, does not shake hands, and absolutely refuses to share kunai. One would think this odd of a Shinobi, but with the haughty nature of the Hyuuga clan well known throughout the village, nobody gave it a second thought.
Though this made it easier to hide his 'affliction', when you are a ninja certain things are simply unavoidable. In order to keep his 'disorder' to himself, Neji faithfully accepted every challenge from Lee (though he tried to deter him as much as possible), dutifully accepted every mission, and never missed a training session with his team.
He played his part perfectly, therefore no one was aware of his secret anguish. No one knew that it was through sheer force of will that he left his house in the mornings. No one was aware that after every public outing he made he longed to go home and wash himself. No one knew that after every sparring match, and after every mission he would lock himself in his bathroom and go about the rigorous task of sanitizing his entire body. Nobody knew that every day he would scrub himself raw, over and over again. Nobody knew that proud Hyuuga Neji, a Shinobi who had faced death on numerous occasions, was afraid of germs.
Rock Lee
Rock Lee did not believe half the crap that Guy-sensei came up with, but did not have the heart to speak his mind. Don't get him wrong, Rock Lee admired Maito Guy more than any other Jounin in the Leaf Village, and was proud to tell anyone who would hear it. He aspired to be as strong and as determined as his teacher, and sincerely sought to emulate Guy in that aspect of his character. Everything else, however, was superficial bullshit that Lee simply could not wrap his rational mind around.
He didn't understand the "eternal youth" that Guy was always talking about, and certainly could not comprehend why Guy tormented Kakashi on a daily basis with the most ridiculously inane challenges. He felt that the suit he wore was comical at best, and every night before bed he would look himself in the mirror and sigh at his reflection. Often, he would go to sleep with every intention of waking up the next morning, making his eyebrows a socially acceptable size, fixing his god forsaken hair, and telling his teacher to literally put a sock in it.
But he didn't
Rock Lee was many things, but he certainly was not a mean spirited person. Though he was fully aware that Maito Guy was a powerful and respected Jounin of the Leaf Village, behind closed doors he was also the laughing stock of the ninja community. Rock Lee was also aware that none of this mattered to Maito Guy, because Maito Guy only sought the acceptance and respect of two people, Hatake Kakashi, and Rock Lee.
Whether or not Kakashi respected Guy was up for debate, but Lee's respect for the man was firm and strong. And even though he didn't pay any attention to 95 of what came out of his teacher's mouth, his love for the man was too strong to break his heart.
Gaara
Though he would admit it to no one, Gaara of the Sand secretly missed Shukaku. It was not a sentimental longing, or even a fond remembrance, rather it was the simple fact that the Shukaku was his; it was as if he had been robbed of his personal property, or as close as a savage thousand-year old demon could come to being property.
Aside from the theft was the new experience of silence. The silence was odd, and being the sole person occupying his mind was quite eerie. There were no ominous whispers, or defeaning wails. He flet no urges for blood, no impulses for carnage, not even the slightest inclination to kill. It was utter silence, and he supposed that he should be grateful for the reprieve because now he would finally be able to embrace the foreign state known as sleep, but it was still something that he had difficulty handling because the twilight always found him awake with his thoughts.
Without the Shukaku to occupy his full attention, he now only had himself to deal with, and that was something else all together. For the first time since he could remember, he now felt what it was to have a conscience, and it was agonizing. Without the beast, he could now clearly see every life he took, and heard every dying breath they drew. It was agonizing, and if he were given the option he would gladly receive the Shukaku once more if it would silence the aching of his heart.
Author's Note (again): Mysophobia is a real phobia, though the spelling is up for debate. I drew on Neji general "holier than thou" attitude and decided that he would be perfect for the part. Rock Lee seems completely out of character, and that is exactly how i intended him to be, and Gaara, well, Gaara is Gaara, and i think it would be accurate to say he 'missed' shukaku because it was HIS demon.
Chapter 2 will be up soon. and it just might be devoted to Itachi.